By Joni Doherty, MD, PhD
Our last blog touched on the link between hearing loss and moderate chronic kidney disease (CKD), and how older adults with CKD have a higher prevalence of hearing loss. Now, a new study suggests a link between a persistently noisy environment and heart disease.
Researchers at the University of British Columbia analyzed data from the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, collected between 1999 and 2004. They included data from more than 6,300 study subjects who were aged 20 or over and who were employed at the time they were surveyed. The found that working in a constantly noisy environment can more than double your risk for heart disease. The findings are published in the online edition of the journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine.
While the exact reason for the linkage aren’t clear, the researchers hypothesized that that the effect of consistently loud noises on the body is similar to the effect of a stressful event, such as a sudden powerful emotional crisis, which activates chemicals in the body that restrict blood flow through the coronary arteries. The study team also found that workers exposed to loud noise at work were twice as likely to have hypertension, a risk factor for heart problems.
Those who work in noisy environments should try to counter high noise levels by using ear plugs or other hearing-protection devices. Not only will you save your hearing, you may be doing your heart good as well.